Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-03-11
Al OLD MAIDS STORY,

III OLD MAIDS STORY.
Deacon Smith brousht nkaA letter.
wss from my nephew Tom, and read
Dear Old Auntie: I've lost every
cant Of that money. Spec. Was a. 4.
Whsts TO become Of Hetty and the
baby? Your unlucky TOM,
l leaned back from my half.ss ton
supper, showed my spectacles on my In.
tsllectual forehead, and wrinkled my
pag nose with dissgreeabls thoughts
II seemed that ! had not escaped do.
mestic trouble by refusing twenty
years before to marry Hiram Grim.
wood. Single life had lfs vexations.
too. Tom was my favorlts nephew
my dear sisters only child-And from
the time took him from his nurse's
arms In petticoats and brought him
homo 70 be the Joy and torment Of my
life he has kept me stirred up. Measles
and mistakes were the principal
themes Of his baby days and love and
lswlessncss sttAoked him In turn - he
grew older. never drew . FREQ breath
till he was safely married to pretty
little Hattie Maynard. our ministers
daughter, who had the sense Of the
family and the good looks. too. was
most - much In love with her ~ Tom
WAS, but she had ono fault-she didn't
go through Tom, and thought his wild
goose chases were sensible, legitimate
ways Of making money. I always
could take care OF my money my self.
Giving Tom money was like pouring
water through sieve. But Hattie be
l lto~wAA kas h. hvx~
ness man In the world. 6he believed
every thing that boy told hsr and even
persuaded me into believing in him
too.
| Nov no had done II. bad advanced
him d 900 OF the modest Inheritance
shat would We his upon my death, or
his sacred assurance that he would
double the money and return me tina,
sum. And he had gone and lost every
dollar Of It,
"The lame and the lazy are always
provided for" thought bitterly.
''Of course Hattie and the baby car
not stsrve. III 90 down to the city
end bring them mp till Tom sets some
thing TO do,-the scAmpr'
Now, / am IN old maid and live alon'
since Tom married, and IL didn't taxi
me long 70 shut the house up. len
tho oat 70 my next door neighbor, TOLD
her she might have him for his keep til
came back. and the bird took with
me for safe keeping. Somehow. ~
was getting ready to 60. my heart grew
light and before knew IL was sing
ing an old love song. though what pm
1t into my head can't tell. It's twent,
years since Hiram Grimwood went 4
California, and l reckon he's been dea.
the most Of the time, or married, Whicl
is about the Same.
When 1 had put ON all my thing
with my back TO the glass turne,
around and there stood Q strange woman
She gave me m awful stare.
Then l saw 1t Was myself and
laughed and laughed. had on tn
same black bomb azine dress aud bonnie
/ wore when Toms mother died, and .
that was about fourteen years ago the
had come back In fashion, and locke
quite stylish, ana ever since i had th
FEVER my hair was cut short and curl,
and II hung over my eyes just the Va
the girls wear IL nowadays. / declsl
I looked 30 young didn't know m!
self Well, it's true say Ing that there
no fools like old TO IL, and the Lol
didn't make any exception Of me.
When l got TO tho station every bod
stared at me as II was show; / d.
, not take any baggage, cause warn
: going 10 stay. 30 only had box Wit
o clean calico In 1t, and bundle
sweet herbs for the baby, and some ne
: shirts for Tom, aud the bird cage, and
T clock / wanted TO get repaired In Il
!. city.
"All aboa,G!' yelled the cond ucter.
d h.. Il
Q promptly, and man gripped me
the arm and nulled me on just as 81
, cars started. TGsn l heard some Of
!. ask:
"who Is the innocent old party?"
:, But l didn't see any party, and
y guess they got left.
= TAX Of adventures. 1 could write
: book full of what happened to me
y tbas trip, but it would sound like 0 !
nance, and nobody would believe
All, friend, truth is stranger than 4
ton, and i can prove It,
q When 1 got my things settled Ia I
car / felt kind OF homesick and loI
some There was the old cat left Amo
strangers at one end Of the Journey 81
Tom In distress at the other end, and
kind OF swinging between the two, 81
thought Of the beautiful hymn til
says:
This ws.ld lie all a tieeting show"
And--now don't Taught just laid .
. head down on the back Of the seat
fore mt, and CRIED. l would not
Tom know 1t for the world, but did,
There was man In the seat. but
did not take any notice of me His IA
was covered with whiskers and
looked kind Of etern. but real eot
looking sort Of chap, too. thought
wac he that touched me, and ! jump
~ II ] WAS shot, but 1t was the pretti,
little blonde girl OF 10 1 ever saw.
- "Will you plesse let me sit vi
~ :, you?" she said, and her voice WAS ],
IS, like bird singing, and sLe had lit
ei white hand ali cushiony and dimpl'
ty on my black bonn hsxipe arm.
u Pm "a grumpy old thing myself. .
I felt like saying NJ / heard the rest {
3 "Tnis seats engaged" but when g
!, looked at me with her violet eyes j.
- rave In and cried:
n "Cer:ainly, my dear, sit right dowr
- Ieuppose the child saw i was cryir
a for she had kind of snuggled up 70 l
and wanted to SEQ the bird, and prais
~ him, and he chirped to her, and q
told me her sad story, how she b
IN come all the way from California, .
IL l. lol